Governor Abbott Signs Texas Bail Reform Bills into Law, Citing Victims' Stories and Public Safety

Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed into law what he called “the strongest bail reform package in Texas history,” during a ceremony held at Crime Stoppers of Houston. Surrounded by legislators, law enforcement, and victims’ families, Abbott emphasized that the new laws aim to close what he described as a “revolving door bail system” that has allowed violent offenders to be released and reoffend while awaiting trial.

“This session, we confronted a crisis, a revolving door bail system that repeatedly released dangerous criminals back onto the streets,” said Governor Abbott. “To the victims and their families, today your pain is answered. Not only are we signing laws that correct the wrongs, your efforts have led to a rewriting of the Constitution of the State of Texas to ensure criminals like those who harmed your families will never be out on the loose again.”

The bills signed include Senate Bill 9, Senate Bill 40, House Bill 75, and Senate Joint Resolution 5. Together, they aim to restrict pretrial release for individuals accused of violent crimes, ensure more transparency in judicial decisions regarding arrests, and prevent the use of public funds for nonprofit groups that post bail.

Senate Joint Resolution 5 proposes a constitutional amendment that, if approved by voters in November, would allow judges to deny bail to individuals charged with the most serious offenses, such as murder or human trafficking, when prosecutors demonstrate that the individual poses a threat to public safety or is unlikely to appear in court.

One of the speakers at the signing was Aimee Castillo, whose brother, Joshua Sandoval, was murdered by a man out on multiple felony bonds. Castillo shared her family’s story, pointing to what she described as systemic failure.

“We encountered the revolving door at the Harris County Courthouse,” she said. “There is something deeply, tragically wrong with a system that gives repeat, violent felony offenders chance after chance, while families like mine are given a life sentence of grief.”

Abbott was joined by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (R), Senator Joan Huffman (R), Chairman John Smithee (R), and several other officials and advocates. In his 2025 State of the State Address, Abbott had designated bail reform as one of his emergency priorities for the session.

The constitutional amendment in Senate Joint Resolution 5 will be placed before Texas voters in November.